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Israeli Tech Helps Detect Depression in People

March 22, 2018

University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies researchers, as a part of their pioneering efforts within DARPA’s Detection and Computational Analysis of Psychological Signals (DCAPS) project, developed a tool, SimSensei, to spot signs of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

It uses an algorithm called k-means algorithm, which can put large data sets into clusters based on average values, which is then compared to normal’ speech patterns.

Such innovations are intended as a form of healthcare support and not — as in the case of DCAPS — aimed at providing an exact diagnosis. They can be useful in offering a general metric of psychological health.

An alarmingly high number of people across the world suffer from depression and other mental health problems. Studies confirm that if the risk factors contributing to depression are known, and if the most susceptible are assisted early, the condition may be promptly averted.

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Work depicted here was sponsored by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL). Statements and opinions expressed and content included do not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government, and no official endorsement should be inferred.